fi' 

MtttoiBIiii||y|liil 


THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 
OF  CALIFORNIA 

Rare  Book  Room 

GIFT  OF 

John  W.   Beckman 


University  of  California  •  Berkeley 


"Here  is  the  letter,  Mr.  Schaflfer.'.— P.  58. 


LITTLE    PETE. 


AUNT  FKIEKDLY, 

AUTHOR    OF    "AMY   AND   HER   BROTHERS,"    "THE    PICKET- 
GUARD,"  ETC. 


"Render  not  evil  for  evil." 


PUBLISHED  BY  THE 

PROTESTANT     EPISCOPAL     SOCIETY     FOR    THE     PROMOTION     OP 
EYANGELICAL     KNOWLEDGE, 

BIBLE    HOUSE,    N  E  W- Y  O  R  K , 

AND  1224  CHESTNUT  ST.,  PHILADELPHIA. 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS. 


PAGE. 

I.  SETTING  OUT, 5 

II.  ENEMIES, 13 

III.  THE  FARM, 21 

IV.  BOYS, 81 

V.  BITTER  HERBS, .        .  41 

VI.  THE  LETTER, 50 

VII.  GLAD  TIDINGS, 63 

VIII.  CONCLUSION,  06 


I. 

SETTING    OUT. 


IT  was  early  for  any  travellers  to  be  abroad, 
yet  over  a  good  turnpike  road,  a  little 
foot-passenger  was  rapidly  moving.  Pete 
Derno's  face  was  set  in  the  direction  in  which 
he  was  going,  and  he  turned  his  eyes  neither 
to  the  right  nor  the  left.  His  bare  feet  trod 
the  ground  as  independently  as  if  he  were  the 
owner  of  every  bit  of  the  rich  farm-land, 
which  lay  on  each  side  of  the  rail-fences,  be 
tween  which  he  was  passing.  Yet  there  was 
not  a  spadeful  of  ground  anywhere  which 
Pete  could  call  his  own.  His  "  earthly  pos 
sessions,"  like  Ichabod  Crane's,  were  done 
"  up  in  a  cotton  pocket-handkerchief."  Th^t 
handkerchief  was  carefully  knotted,  and  sus 
pended  to  the  stick  Pete  was  carrying  over 
his  shoulder.  Two  pair  of  striped  pantaloons, 
a  small  linen  coat,  and  a  valuable  pair  of 
1* 


6  LITTLE   PETE. 

shoes,  (if  one  was  to  judge  by  the  weight  of 
their  soles  in  proportion  to  their  size,)  two 
clean  shirts,  and  a  pocket-handkerchief,  this 
was  Pete  Derno's  wardrobe.  We  have  call 
ed  Pete's  wardrobe  his  own,  the  sum  of  his 
earthly  possessions,  yet  he  well  and  rightly 
looked  upon  it,  rather  as  given  him  in  trust 
by  his  mother,  something  for  which  he  was . 
accountable  to  her  as  purchaser,  manufacturer, 
and  proprietor,  he  being  but  the  tenant  on 
favor,  so  long  as  his  behavior  made  him  wor 
thy  of  the  honor.  Ttiro  things  Pete  had, 
however,  in  his  right-hand  pocket,  which  were 
his,  bj^e very  law  —  his  cloth-covered  Testa 
ment,  and  his  jack-knife,  with  one  strong, 
thick  blade,  good,  like  his  shoes,  if  quantity 
of  the  heavy  element  were  the  thing  required* 
The  Testament  was  a  parting  gift  from  his 
Sunday-school  teacher,  and  had  his  name 
written  in  full  on  the  fly-leaf,  in  Pete's  best 
style, 

pete 
derno 

"  Steel  not  this  Book  for  Fear  of  shaim." 
Pete  was  not  a  superior  penman,  but  he  was 


LITTLE   PETE.  7 

proud  to  be  able  to  write  Ms  name  at  all.  Cer 
tainly  any  one  who  could  not  have  read  the 
inscription  on  that  fly-leaf,  must  have  been 
4  nil  indeed ;  the  letters  were  so  large  and 
distinct,  and  there  was  room  enough  between 
the  words  for  the  puzzled  to  stop  and  think, 
before  going  farther. 

Pete's  Testament  was  done  up  in  a  piece  of 
brown  paper,  and  tied  round  with  a  string, 
fastened  with  innumerable  knots.  One  might 
have  been  tempted  to  smile  at  this  evidence 
of  care,  yet  a  smile  of  approval  would  have 
been  most  appropriate. 

Pete  loved  his  Testament,  not  only  as  the 
gift  of  his  teacher,  but  as  the  most  precious 
of  books,  in  which  was  written  the  story  of 
the  life  of  his  dearest  Friend,  and  many  let 
ters  about  him,  and  last,  (and  almost  the  best, 
Pete  thought,)  a  description  of  the  home  of 
that  Friend,  where  Pete  hoped  one  day  to  be 
.rejoicing  in  the  shining  glory.  Yes,  little 
bare-footed  Pete  Derno  was  a  pilgrim  on  his 
way  to  the  Heavenly  Country,  and  cheered  by 
the  best  sunshine,  even  the  .sense  of  the  con 
tinual  love  of  the  ever-present  Saviour. 

Pete  had  passed  through  some  of  the  pil- 


8  LITTLE   PETE. 

grim's  troubles  that  very  morning,  though'he 
was  stepping  on  so  cheerfully  now.  Pete  was 
leaving  home  for  the  first  time  in  his  life,  go 
ing  oat  to  service  in  a  farmer's  family,  ful!L 
ten  miles  from  the  old  brown  shanty,  where 
he  had  lived  ever  since  he  was  born.  Peter 
was  only  ten  years  old ;  so  he  must  be  excus 
ed  for  having  snuffled  and  thrust  his  fist  in 
his  eyes  when  he  bade  his  mother  good-by, 
and  fairly  cried  outright  when  he  got  to  a 
turn  in  the  lane,  where  he  was  hidden  from 
the  kind  faces  that  were  watching  him  on  his 
journey. 

The  ship  that  sails  most  proudly  through 
the  waves  often  has  its  own  bustle  and  delay 
and  difficulties,  Before  it  finally  weighs  an 
chor,  and  begins  to  move  over  the  water 
"  like  a  thing  of  life."  Pete  had  done  with 
his  tears  and  his  misgivings  now.  He  had 
resolved  to  do  his  duty  like  a  Christian  boy 
in  his  new  position,  and  to  bear  patiently 
whatever  trials  and  annoyances  might /all  to 
his  share.  With  such  a  strong  right  spirit 
within  him,  no  wonder  he  trod  the  ground  so 
cheerily  and  looked  so  pleasantly  out  of  his  - 
small  blue  eyes.  Pete  had  judiciou'sfj*  rolled 


LITTLE   PETE.  9 

his  clean  trowsers  up  to  his  knees",  to  keep 
them  out  of  harm's  way,  and  if  there  had  been 
any  possible  place  of  safety  in  which  to  put 
"his  new  straw  hat,  he  would  have  certainly 
gone  bare-headed,  trusting  to  his  mass  of  curly 
hair  to  protect  his  little  pate  from  the  sum 
mer  sun.  To  wear  a  hat  with  a  whole  brim 
for  "  every  day,"  seemed  to  Pete  a  real  ex 
travagance,  and  he  had  felt  for  once  inclined 
to  argue  the  matter  with  his  mother,  when 
she  put  his  fringed,  ragged  head-piece  on  to 
his  brother's,  as  "  not  fit  for  Pete,  now  he  was 
going  out  to  service." 

Mrs.  Derno  was  not  inclined  to  be  lavish  of 
new  hats,  or  new  garments  of  any  kind.  It 
took  all  her  spare  money  and  spare  time  to 
keep  her  brood  of  little  ones  supplied  with 
clothing  that  was  merely  decent  for  Sunday. 
With  much  mending  and  patching,  contriving 
and  turning,  she  managed  to  have  some  cov 
ering  over  the  bare  skin  of  her  boys  and  girls 
on  a  week-day.  Motley,  strange-looking  gar 
ments  they  often  wore,  but  they  were  merry 
and  busy,  and  cared  as  little  for  what  they 
had  on  as  did  the  bees  and  butterflies  who 
fluttered  and  buzzed  around  them,  as  they 


10  LITTLE   PETE. 

Veeded  and  hoed,  and  dug  and  raked,  and 
laughed  and  chatted  in  the  garden-patch  be 
side  their  humble  home. 

Mrs.  Demo's  critical  neighbors  said  she 
had  "  no  faculty  for  getting  on  in  the  world." 
She  certainly  had  made  no  money,  hitherto, 
but  she  had  managed  to  keep  out  of  debt,  and 
to  bring  on  so  far  a  group  of  as  happy  and 
healthy-looking  youngsters  as  were  to  be 
found  anywhere  in  the  country.  That  was 
perhaps  doing  well  for  a  widow  woman,  with 
as  many  children  as  she  had  fingers  on  the 
strong  right  hand  that  worked  so  willingly 
for  them.  If  good  Mrs.  Derno  had  turned 
out  her  little  people  to  fight  their  way  for 
themselves  on  the  street,  she  might  perhaps 
have  found  time  to  earn  many  shillings  which 
now  rested  in  purses  far  out  of  her  reach. 
Mrs.  Derno  well  knew  that  she  was  doing  bet 
ter  by  her  children  than  *if  she  were  laying  up 
chests  full  of  gold  for  them,  to  be  sparing  time 
now  to  train  them  to  be  good  and  useful  by 
and  by.  Very  little  profit  she  had  as  yet  out 
of  their  labors,  though  they  were  almost  too 
much  in  earnest  to  help  her.  She  had  often 
to  pick  out,  after  the  girls  were  in  bed,  the 


LITTLE   PETE.  11 

sewing  over  which  they  had  ingeniously  prick 
ed  their  fingers  for  many  an  hour,  or  to  wash, 
over  the  half-clean  garments  upon  which  they 
had  tried  their  skill  in  the  laundress  depart 
ment.  Only  patient,  persevering  mothers 
know  the  trouble  it  is  to  teach  children  to  be 
useful.  It  is  far  easier  for  a  busy,  active,  en 
ergetic  woman  to  let  her  children  run  at  their 
own  will,  while  she  works  for  them,  as  if  they 
were  so  many  cats  or  *  chickens,  who  were  to 
know  by  nature  the  sum  of  what  was  to  be 
needful  for  them  the  days  of  their  life.  Mrs. 
Derno  had  another  end  in  view.  She  looked 
upon  her  five  children  as  so  many  souls  in 
trusted  to  her  care,  so  many  human  beings  to 
be  trained  for  useful  life  on  earth,  and  a 
bright,  enduring  home  in  heaven. 

There  had  been  days  in  which  she  had  been 
almost  in  despair  of  ever  making  any  thing 
but  a  mischievous  monkey  out  of  Pete,  the 
oldest  of  the  flock.  The  wiry,  nimble  little 
fellow  seemed  to  think  the  world  a  plaything, 
contrived  for  his  special  amusement,  and  re 
quiring  all  his  activity  to  find  out  its  many 
sources  of  fun  and  frolic.  Yet,  unpromising 
as  was  the  material  she  had  to  work  upon, 


12  LITTLE   PETE. 

Mrs.  Derno's  patience  and  prayers  had  made 
out  of  wild  little  Pete  the  industrious,  right- 
principled,  energetic  little  chap  whom  we 
have  found  speeding  along  the  road,  in  the 
early  morning,  on  his  way  "  to  service." 


II. 
ENEMIES, 


WE  have  said  that  Pete  Derno  looked 
neither  to  the  right  nor  the  left,  as  he 
kept  up  his  steady  march  over  the  smooth 
turnpike.  Experience  had  taught  our  young 
traveller  that  wandering  eyes  are  sad  mischief- 
makers.  If  he  did  not  see  the  squirrels, 
seeming  to  beckon  to  him  with  their  feathery 
tails,  or  the  rabbits  bowing  and  making 
mouths  to  him  from  the  thickets,  he  would 
not,  of  course,  be  tempted  to  stop  and  declare 
war  against  them,  or  even  to  prosecute  a 
friendly  acquaintance.  It  is  a  secret  worth 
knowing  for  frolicsome  children  like  Pete, 
that  there  is  no  way  of  being  sure  of  get 
ting  safely  through  some  important  errand 
like  keeping  one's  mind  on  the  business  in 
hand,  and  one's  eyes  straight  on  the  path 
that  is  to  be  trodden. 
2 


14  LITTLE   PETE. 

Following  out  this  principle,  Pete  had 
fairly  gotten  over  eight  miles  of  his  long 
walk  without  once  stopping  or  lingering  for 
any  thing  less  lawful  than  the  firmer  knot 
ting  of  his  bundle,  or  the  quenching  of  his 
thirst  at  a  wayside  spring.  Pete  was  grow 
ing  weary  now  in  spite  of  himself,  and  he 
moved  on  much  more  slowly  than  at  first, 
and  it  was  all  the  harder  to  keep  himself 
from  seeing  the  blackberry-vines,  that  hung 
out  their  garlands  over  the  fences,  as  if  to 
show,  in  their  pride,  what  shining  jet  orna 
ments  they  were  beginning  to  wear.  Pete 
wished  blackberries  particularly,  and  there 
was  a  chance  to  him,  in  plucking  the  first  of 
the  season,  yet  he  went- determinedly  on,  re 
solved  not  to  be  led  to  loiter  for  such  a  tempt 
ation. 

Pete  had  just  passed  "  a  solid  quart  of  ber 
ries,"  he  was  sure,  and  was  holding  his  head 
unusually  straight,  because  he  was  pleased 
with  himself  that  he  was  getting  on  so  brave 
ly.  His  march  was  suddenly  interrupted  by 
a  cry  from  an  unseen  enemy. 

"  Halt !  I  say,  halt !  or  I'll  fire  into  you  I" 

This  martial  address  was  accompanied  by 


LITTLE   PETE.  15 

the  swift  discharge  of  a  volley  of  stones, 
thrown  as  quickly,  one  after  the  other,  as  if 
jerked  out  from  a  "  Colt's  revolver."  They 
were  all  in  front  of  Pete,  however,  with  strict 
regard  to  military  etiquette,  the  customs  seem 
ing  to  be  the  same  on  this  high  road  as  on 
the  "  high  seas." 

Pete  "  hove  to  "  at  once,  and  looked  about 
for  the  man  or  boy-of-war  likely  to  be  in  the 
neighborhood. 

Two  stout  country  lads  came  jumping  over 
the  rail-fence  at  his  right  hand,  and  laid  hold 
of  his  arms  like  two  highwaymen. 

"  So  that's  the  fashion  in  these  parts,"  said 
Pete  with  a  whimsical  look.  "  You  needn't 
hold  me  so  fast,  for  I  couldn't  stand  fight 
with  even  one  of  you,  if  you  allowed  me  my 
stick  and  the  first  blow.  Are  you  afraid  of 
me  that  you  hold  on  so  ?  I  won't  hurt  you ; 
I  declare  I  won't." 

Pete's  little  face  was  snivelled  up  into  the 
drollest  possible  expression  as  he  looked  from 
one  to  the  other  of  his  captors.  » 

The  larger  of  the  two  strangers  burst  into 
a  hearty  laugh,  and  let  go  his  hold  of  Pete 
to  support  his  own  fat  sides,  while  he  made 


16  LITTLE   PETE. 

the  woods  ring  with  his  shouts.  The  other 
boy's  face  grew  sour  arid  surly.  He  tight 
ened  his  grasp  painfully  on  Pete,  and  said : 

"  I  mean  to  make  you  afraid  of  me,  though. 
What  an  arm  !  Why,  I  could  wring  it  off 
as  easy  as  I  would  a  chicken's  neck." 

"Action,  but  not  much  muscle,"  said  Pete, 
going  through  some  singularly  swift  move 
ments  with  his  free  arm,  and  trying  to  look 
merry,  though  his  face  was  very  red  with 
the  pain  he  was  suffering.  The  strong  fin 
gers  of  the  great  rough  boy  would  lea,ve  Pete 
with  a  blue  bracelet  on  for  many  a  day  ;  the 
little  pilgrim  was  sure  of  that,  for  private 
reasons  not  to  be  mistaken. 

"  Hands  off,  Bob !"  said  the  older  brother, 
"hands  off,  I  say.  We've  brought  him  to  ; 
now  let's  state  the  terms  of  peace." 

The  iron  fingers  were  unclasped,  and  Pete 
stood,  what  he  would  have  called  "a  free 
man,"  between  his  assailants. 

"  I  am  Fritz  Schaffer,  and  that's  my  brother 
Bob,  and  you  are  Pete  Derno.  We've  been 
on  picket-duty,  this  hour,  looking  out  for 
you.  We  don't  let  in  a  stranger  to  our  camp 
without  giving  him  a  chance  to  know  the 


LITTLE   PETE.  17 

articles  of  war.  Mind  now — the  first  thing 
is,  you  are  not  to  say  you  ever  met  us  before, 
when  you  see  us  up  at  the  house.  If  you 
tell  on  us,  now,  at  the  start,  we'll  draw  out 
in  line-of-battle,  at  once,  and  may  be  you'll 
find  yourself  nowhere,  before  you  know  it. 
Will  you  promise  ?" 

"  Promise  what  ?"  said  Pete. 

"  Not  to  tell  on  us,  I  say."  Fritz  Schaffer 
put  a  great  ugly  fist  very  near  to  Pete's  little 
pug-nose,  as  he  spoke. 

"It's  not  my  place  to  speak,  unless  I'm 
spoken  to,"  said  Pete,  with  perfect  com 
posure;  "but  if  I  am  asked  any  questions, 
I  shall  give  a  true  answer.  You  may  as  well 
know  that  from  the  first.  I  tell  no  lies  to 
please  any  body.  If  that  does  not  suit,  just 
fall  in,  now,  and  hammer  me  as  much  as  you 
think  proper,  and  then  let  me  go  on.  I  prom 
ised  to  be  at  the  farm  early,  and  I  should  like 
to  keep  my  agreement." 

"  I'll  teach  you  manners,"  began  Bob 
Schaffer.  Bob  drew  off  to  get  force  for  a 
blow  that  was  meant  to  floor  his  tiny  adver 
sary.  He  met  a  very  different  match,  and 
one  not  so  much  to  his  liking. 
2* 


18  LITTLE   PETE. 

Fritz,  by  a  swift  movement,  took  the  blow 
intended  for  Pete,  as  if  the  pain  were  a  real 
source  of  satisfaction.  He  did  not  seem  in 
clined,  however,  to  receive  any  such  satisfac 
tion,  without  returning  it  in  kind.  A  regu 
lar  tussle,  fight,  and  struggle  at  once  ensued 
between  the  brothers.  Pete  wisely  thought 
it  best  for  him  to  get  off  the  battle-ground  as 
fast  as  possible.  He  did  not  feel  his  fatigue 
now,  and  his  nimble  little  feet  pattered  along 
the  road  with  hearty  good  will. 

Quite  out  of  breath,  he  found  himself  all 
in  a  heat,  as  he  entered  the  lane  leading  to 
farmer  Schaffer's  small  brown  house.  Pete 
marvelled  to  find  the  home  of  the  comfort 
able  farmer  not  one  quarter  as  large  as  his 
barn.  That  barn  was  a  perfect  curiosity  in 
its  way,  a  mammoth  of  its  kind,  and  as 
worthy  of  exhibition,  at  a  quarter  of  a  dollar 
a  sight,  as  half  of  the  monsters  the  showmen 
carry  about  in  their  cloth-houses,  to  "  take 
in  "  the  country  people. 

Farmer  Schaffer  never  charged  any  body 
for  seeing  his  barn.  Indeed,  he  had  cut  down 
three  big  oak-trees,  that  the  passengers  on  the 
turnpike  might  be  sure  to  have  a  full  view  of 


A  regular  tussle,  fight,  and  struggle."— P.  18. 


LITTLE   PETE.  19 

it,  free  of  even  the  expense  of  a  twisted  neck 
or  a  wrenched  backbone.  Mr.  Schaffer  had 
never  been  fifty  miles  off  from  his  own  land. 
Of  course  he  had  never  seen  an  ancient 
abbey ;  yet  he  had  the  fac-simile  of  some  of 
those  old  cloisters  in  the  covered,  porch-like 
resorts  along  the  side  and  half-way  under 
that  astonishing  barn.  No  thoughtful,  sor 
rowful  fanatics  pacred  those  dark  retreats,  but 
there  the  cows  chewed  their  cud  in  the  win 
ter-time,  and  took  the  fresh  air  without  wad 
ing  through  snow-banks,  or  being  coated  by 
merciless  sleet. 

Pete  forgot  all  about  his  mishaps  by  the 
way,  as  the  wonders  of  the  farm  burst  upon 
him.  Such  fat  cattle  as  were  grazing  in  the 
pastures,'such  Brobdignag,  long-legged  chick 
ens  as  strutted  in  the  lane,  his  eyes  had 
never  before  beheld.  Why,  there  were  six 
young  horses,  seeming  to  have  nothing  to  do 
but  play,  all  in  a  field  together,  and  one  of 
them  came  close  to  the  fence  and  made  a 
mysterious  friendly  noise  at  Pete,  as  if  he  re 
cognized  him  as  an  acquaintance. 

Pete  had  forgotten  the  circumstance,  if  he 
had  had  the  pleasure  of  meeting  the  brown 
colt  before,  and  he  most  unceremoniously 


20  LITTLE   PETE. 

passed  on,  without  acknowledging  the  saluta^ 
tion.  The  fact  was,  Pete  knew  if  he  were  to 
stop  now,  it  would  be  all  over  with  him.  He 
would  be  off  on  an  exploring  expedition  in 
a  twinkling,  instead  of  going  straight  up  to 
the  house,  and  reporting  himself  as  "  ready 
for  duty/7  as  was  the  thing  proper  to  be 
done. 

Pete  was  a  pilgrim  to  the  heavenly  coun 
try.  Such  pilgrims  must  put  duty  first,  and 
keep  out  of  temptation,  if  they  want  to  come 
safely  to  the  end  of  their  journey.  Pete 
had  been  made  to  understand  thoroughly 
that  the  small  duties  of  the  boy  must  be  well 
performed,  and  the  small  temptations  valiant- 
ly  resisted,  if  the  little  Christian  pilgrim 
would  keep  his  feet  firmly  in  the  narrow 
way  that  leadeth  unto  life. 

It  cost  curious,  eager,  wondering  little  Pete 
as  great  an  effort  to  go  straight  to  the  door  at 
farmer  Schaffer's,  without  loitering  and  lin 
gering,  as  it  has  many  an  older  tempted  pil 
grim  to  pass  unheeded  the  dram-shop  or  the 
beguiling  saloon. 

They  who  would  stand  firm  to  duty,  as 
Christian  men,  must  be  firm  and  faithful  as 
Christian  boys. 


III. 
THE    FAKM. 


PETE  had  no  difficulty  in  finding  the  back 
door  at  farmer  Schaffer's.  A  broad,  well- 
worn  path  led  in  that  direction  from  the  low, 
half- open  gate,  a  little  beyond  the  main  en 
trance.  This  "  back-door  "  was  at  the  side  of 
the  house,  and  served  as  a  "  front  door  "  on 
all  ordinary  occasions,  the  clean  floor  of  the 
porch,  facing  the  lane,  being  only  trodden  by 
privileged  feet,  on  high  days  and  holidays. 
Pete  did  not  need  to  knock,  for  the  "  click  " 
of  the  gate,  which  he  closed  behind  him, 
brought  out  a  rosy-cheeked  girl,  to  see  who 
could  be  coming.  At  the  sight  of  Pete,  she 
seemed  to  understand  at  once  who  he  was,  for 
she  exclaimed  :  "  So  youVe  come,  have  you  ! 
We  were  not  looking  for  you  for  an  hour  yet, 
and  may  be  not  at  all.  Boys  an't  to  be  re 
lied  on,  that  we  know  well  enough  here." 


22  LITTLE   PETE. 

Pete  did  not  wonder  that  there  was  a  poor 
opinion  of  boys  at  farmer  Schaffer's,  after  his 
experience  with  Bob  and  Fritz  on  the  road. 
He  mentally  resolved,  however,  to  show  that 
at  least  one  boy  could  be  relied  on,  and  change, 
if  possible,  Betty's  bad  opinion  of  the  class 
to  which  it  was  his  misfortune  at  present  to 
belong.  As  a  first  step  in  the  right  direction, 
he  bowed  politely  to  Betty,  and  said  in  a  re 
spectful  way  :  "  Is  Mrs.  Schaffer  at  home  ?" 

"  At  home  !  Of  course  she  is  !  She  never 
goes  nowhere  but  to  church  on  Sundays,  or 
to  a  quilting  or  an  apple-paring  once  or  twice 
a  year.  Miss  Schaffer  is  at  home,  and  so  is 
he,  too  ;  they  are  both  down  at  the  barn,  look 
ing  after  a  sick  cow.  You'd  better  leave  your 
bundle  here,  and  go  down  there  right  straight. 
She'll  open  her  eyes  to  see  you  have  really 
come.  She  had  her  doubts  about  it,  for  all 
the  recommend  the  teacher-woman  gave  you. 
Boys  that  sits  very  still  on  the  bench  in  Sun 
day-school  is  sometimes  very  sly  and  slippery 
on  a  week-day.  I  know  that  I  never  did 
think  much  of  them  Sunday-schools.  I  never 
went  to  none  myself,  and  never  saw  no  good 


LITTLE   PETE.  23 

come  of  them,  neither  did  Miss  Schaffer.  Our 
boys  never  went." 

Pete  was  inclined  to  speak  up  in  favor  of 
the  dear  Sunday-school,  whose  precious  teach 
ing  had  so  helped  him  in  the  way  of  life ;  but 
he  prudently  thought  that  his  arguments 
would  be  worth  nothing  unless  his  conduct 
could  show  that  he  carried  his  religion  into 
the  week.  He  had  better  now  be  off  to  his 
duty,  and  leave  Miss  Betty  to  find  out  in  due 
time  that  some  good  might  come  out  of  a 
Sunday-school  scholar. 

"  I'll  go  right  down  to  the  barn,"  said  Pete, 
laying  his  bundle  carefully  on  a  strong  bench 
on  the  unsheltered  platform  outside  the  door. 
"  Don't  let  any  body  touch  that,  if  you  please," 
he  added ;  "  it  has  my  clothes  in,  my  Sunday 
clothes." 

Pete  made  straight  for  the  barn.  If  he  had 
turned  his  head,  he  would  have  seen  Betty 
making  a  thorough  examination  of  his  bundle, 
and  commenting  upon  its  contents  after  her 
own  fashion.  A  liberty  of  this  kind,  Pete 
would  have  felt  much  inclined  to  resent,  but 
now.  as  often  before,  by  having  his  mind  and 


24:  LITTLE   PETE. 

his  eyes  on  the  path  of  duty,  he  was  kept  out 
of  temptation. 

Betty  had  not  condescended  to  tell  Pete  in 
what  part  of  the  capacious  barn  he  was  to 
look  for  the  person  he  sought,  but  the  moan 
of  a  suffering  animal  at  once  guided  him  to 
the  spot. 

In  one  of  the  stalls  under  the  barn  stood  a 
tall,  gaunt  man,  who,  as  Pete  came  up,  was 
opening  the  cow's  mouth  by  main  force,  while 
a  stout  woman  at  his  side  put  far  down  her 
throat  the  neck  of  a  bottle,  and  skillfully  ad 
ministered  its  contents. 

This  was  an  interesting  process  to  a  child 
like  Pete,  and  his  eyes  were  round  with  won 
der  as  he  approached  the  little  party. 

u  There  now,  I  think  she'll  do,"  said  farm 
er  Schaffer,  letting  the  cow's  head  droop 
upon  a  heap  of  straw.  "  You  wouldn't  have 
got  a  dpse  of  oil  down  Fritz  or  Bob  so  kindly. 
I  believe  those  boys  would  rather  die  than 
take  a  drop  of  apothecary's  stuff." 

"  They  have  never  been  used  to  it.  They 
have  had  uncommon  health,"  said  the  wife, 
apologetically. 

"  Who   have   we    here !"    exclaimed   Mr. 


LITTLE   PETE.  25 

Schaffer,  suddenly  spying  Pete  close  at  his 
side. 

"  The  little  boy,  I  declare  !  The  boy  I  told 
you  about,  who  was  to  come  from  town.  I 
need  him  to  save  me  steps.  I  don't  move 
around  as  easily  as  I  used  to."  \ 

"  I  should  think  you  had  boys  enough  al 
ready  to  manage,"  said  the  farmer  sharply. 
"  Boys  make  more  steps  than  they  save,  ac 
cording  to  my  notion.  A  town  boy  !  A  little 
thief  as  likely  as  not !  "What  will  he  know 
about  farm -work  ?" 

"His  mother  lives  just  on  the  outskirts. 
He  is  accustomed  to  gardening  and  making 
himself  generally  useful,"  said  Mrs.  Schaffer. 
"  He  had  an  excellent  recommendation.  His 
being  here  so  early  looks  well.  Did  you  walk 
over,  my  boy?" 

"  I  did,  ma'am,"  said  Pete,  pulling  the  edge 
of  his  straw  hat,  and  throwing  up  one  of  his 
little  bare  feet,  to  increase  the  force  of  his 
bow. 

"  "What  do  you  expect  to  do  here  ?"  asked: 
the  Jfarmer,  looking  contemptuously  at  the 
small  specimen  of  a  servant  whom  his  wife 
had  chosen  to  employ. 
3 


26  LITTLE   PETE. 

"  Just  what  Mrs.  Schaffer  tells  me.  I  have 
not  had  much  experience  in  farming,"  said 
Pete,  with  a  quizzical  smile. 

"  The  sooner  you  begin  the  better,  then," 
said  Mrs.  Schaffer.  "I'll  put  you  at  work 
at  once.  Just  run  up  to  the  house  and  tell 
Betty  to  make  me  a  bucket  of  flax-seed  gruel. 
I  believe  she'll  live,  Mr.  Schaffer^  after  all. 
I  should  hate  to  lose  her,  she's  such  a  splen 
did  milker.  The  calf  looks  well,  too." 

Nestled  away  in  the  corner  of  the  stall,  was 
a  dear  little  white  and  red  calf,  looking  as 
contentedly  out  of  its  great,  soft  eyes  as  if  its 
poor  mother  were  as  happy  and  healthy  as 
itself.  Pete  caught  a  glimpse  of  the  calf.  How 
he  did  long  to  give  it  a  close  examination ! 
But  that  would  never  do.  He  must  be  off  on 
his  errand,  like  an  arrow  fronythe  bow.  He 
well  knew  the  worthlessness  of  a  tardy,  lin 
gering  messenger.  His  mother  had  not  left 
him  in  ignorance  on  that  point. 

When  Pete  came  back,'  carrying  very  care 
fully  the  full  bucket  of  gruel,  he  was  welcom 
ed  by  a  kindly  smile  from  Mrs.  Schaffer,  as 
she  relieved  him  from  his  burden.  Pete  won 
dered  to  see  the  patient  cow  submit  to  having 


LITTLE   PETE.  27 

the  gruel  poured  down  her  throat,  and  thought 
that,  hungry  as  he  was  at  that  moment,  he 
would  rather  wait  all  day  for  a  meal  than  take 
it  that  fashion. 

"  What  is  your  name,  boy  ?"  asked  Mr. 
Schaifer,  in  a  tone  as  severe  as  if  the  stranger 
were  to  blame  for  having  any  name  at  all. 

"  Peter,  sir,  Peter  Derno  ;  but  every  body 
calls  me  Pete.  Mother  says  she  don't  think 
I'll  ever  get  any  thing  else,  now." 

"  A  long  tongue  your  boy  has,  Mrs.  Schaf- 
fer,"  said  the  husband ;  "  you  had  better  see 
to  it,  it  is  not  a  saucy  tongue,  too." 

"Pete,"  said  Mrs.  Schaffer  kindly,  "don't 
you  want  to  look  at  the  calf?"  The  wife 
seemed  to  be  constantly  on  the  watch  to 
smooth  away  the  effect  of  her  husband's  se 
verity. 

Pete  put  his  hand  on  the  head  of  the  calf 
and  stroked  its  large,  soft  ears.  "  What  a 
dear !"  he  ventured  to  say,  notwithstanding 
the  reproof  he  had  just  received  for  too  free 
use  of  his  tongue. 

"  Go  to  the  house  and  get  a  pan  of  milk, 
Pete,"  said  the  farmer.  "  I  want  to  see  if  the 
calf  will  take  it  before  I  go  in." 


28  LITTLE   PETE. 

"  We  are  going  to  try  to  raise  the  calf,  Pete. 
I  shouldn't  wonder  if  you  were  very  fond  of 
it.  It  will  be  a  regular  pet." 

Pete  was  almost  afraid  to  wait  to  hear  out 
kind  Mrs.  Schaffer's  pleasant  remark  ;  but  he 
knew  it  would  not  be  polite  for  him  to  move 
while  she  was  talking  to  him.  He  made  up 
for  the  delay  by  starting  away  at  full  speed 
as  soon  as  he  was  at  liberty.  Perhaps  he  had 
two  motives — zeal  to  be  off  on  his  errand,  and 
a  desire  to  be  out  of  hearing,  before  he  could 
get  another  rebuke  from  the  farmer. 

The  calf  made  no  objection  to  taking  the 
good  sweet  milk  that  was  soon,  set  before  it, 
and  Mrs.  Schaffer  declared  her  opinion  that  it 
would  "  do  famously,"  and  be  well  worth  the 
raising. 

"  You  always  want  to  raise  all  the  calves. 
A  few  days  longer  would  have  made  first-rate 
veal  out  of  this  one ;  I  am  not  sure  that  it 
would  not  do  to  kill  now."  Mr.  Schaffer 
looked  both  savage  and  contemplative  as  he 
spoke. 

Pete  was  shocked  and  almost  ready  to  cry. 
The  idea  of  making  veal  of  that  dear  little 
calf  seemed  to  him  perfectly  barbarous.  Pete 


LITTLE   PETE.  29 

need  not  have  been  troubled ;  Mr.  Schaffer 
had  no  idea  of  killing  the  calf.  He  only 
thought  this  a  fitting  opportunity  for  reprov 
ing  his  tender-hearted  wife,  whom  he  consid 
ered  quite  too  indulgent  toward  all  the  live 
stock  about  the  farm,  especially  boys,  "  a  kind 
of  cattle,"  the  farmer  often  said,  "  which  were 
always  ready  for  fodder,  but  never  ready  for 
work.7' 

Work  enough  seemed  to  be  ready  for  Pete, 
whether  it  was  or  was  not  welcome  to  him. 
After  Mrs.  Schaffer  he  trotted  all  the  morn 
ing  ;  now  making  a  hen  comfortable  on  a  new 
nest;  now  providing  for  the  welfare  of  some 
turkeys  of  delicate  constitution,  now  weeding, 
under  the  direct  supervision  of  the  mistress, 
and  finally  pulling  for  dinner  such  vegetables 
as  the  abundant  garden  would  afford.  It  was 
a  luxury  to  Mrs.  Schaffer  to  have  somebody 
who  obeyed  her  orders  promptly,  without 
question  or  remonstrance.  Such  a  luxury 
she  had  long  been  craving,  for  both  Betty 
and  the  boys  had  too  high  an  idea  of  their 
own  judgment  to  submit  it  willingly  to  hers. 
The  good  woman  was  no  disciplinarian ;  easy 
3* 


30  LITTLE   PETE. 

and  kind-hearted,  she  was  ruled  by  every 
strong-willed  person  who  came  in  her  way, 
without  having  the  cheerful  content  of  one 
who  is  wisely  governed  by  the  rightful  au 
thority. 


IV. 
BOYS. 


((  "\TOW,  Pete,  wash  your  hands,  and  I'll 
\\  find  something  for  you  to  do  in  the 
house,"  said  Mrs.  Schaffer,  when  her  small 
servant's  duties  in  the  garden  were  over. 
Pete  made  free  use  of  the  water  that  gushed 
constantly  from  the  trough  beside  the  door. 
While  he  was  going  through  a  vigorous  rub 
bing  with  a  stout  towel,  his  eye  twas  caught 
by  what  looked'  like  a  specimen  of  mammoth 
fruit  on  a  neighboring  apple-tree.  Something 
round  and  red  was  swinging  on  the  end  of 
one  of'  the  high  branches.  It  could  not  be 
Pete's  precious  bundle  !  Yes,  it  was  nothing 
else.  Even  at  the  distance  at  which  he  stood, 
Pete  could  trace  the  familiar  pattern  of  his 
best  pocket-handkerchief  in  which  his  ward 
robe  had  been  so  carefully  wrapped.  How 
came  it  there  ? 


32  LITTLE   PETE. 

Pete  did  not  need  to  ask  himself  that  ques 
tion  twice.  He  at  once  decided  that  no  eagle 
or  other  foul  bird  had  done  the  mischief. 
On  some  two-legged  creatures  without  feath 
ers  he  felt  inclined  to  lay  the  blame,  and 
rightly  concluded  that  Fritz  and  Bob  were  not 
far  away.  They  should  see  that  he  was  not 
to  be  discomfited,  or  put  out  of  humor  by 
such  a  trick.  Up  the  tree  he  clambered  in  a 
twinkling,  lightly  swinging  among  the  branch 
es,  and  by  skillful  management  soon  took  his 
possessions  from  the  perilous  resting-place 
where  it  had  cost  his  tormentors  a  half-hour's 
hard  work  to  put  them. 

Pete  was  just  sliding  down  the  trunk  in 
high  spirits  when  farmer  Schaffer  came  into 
the  yard. 

"So  ho  !  youngster  !  At  my  apple-trees 
already  I"  he  shouted.  Not  waiting  for  any 
explanation,  he  forthwith  gave  Pete*  some 
such  hard  slaps  with  his  bare  hand  as  were 
intended  to  check  all  pilfering  propensities  at 
the  very  beginning. 

When  Pete  fairly  came  to  himself  after  the 
stinging  sensations  that  seemed  to  thrill  and 
pervade  his  small  body,  he  was  alone.  In- 


LITTLE  PETE.  33 

dignation,  burning  indignation,  made  him 
stamp  his  bare  foot,  and  dash  the  hot  tears 
from  his  eyes.  What  was  it  that  suddenly 
calmed  his  spirit  and  smoothed  away  the 
frowns  from  his  brow  ?  "  But  and  if  when 
ye  do  well  and  suffer  for  it,  ye  take  it  patient 
ly,  this  is  acceptable  with  God."  The  self- 
justification,  the  manners  and  complaints  that 
a  moment  before  had  been  filling  his  mind, 
he  would  silence  them  all,  and  try  to  take  pa 
tiently  the  punishment  he  had  so  little  de 
served. 

After  all,  Mr.  Schaffer  had  not  been  so  very 
much  to  blame.  What  could  he  suppose  Pete 
was  in  the  apple-tree  for,  but  to  get  at  some 
of  the  red,  tempting  fruit  that  shone  out  so 
beguilingly  from  among  the  bright  leaves  ? 
11  Why,  I  might  have  made  such  a  mistake 
myself!"  said  Pete,  in  an  undertone,  as  he 
again  sought  the  trough,  now  to  wash  away 
the  traces  of  his  angry  tears.  During  this 
process,  Pete  had  time  to  remember  certain  oc 
casions  when  he  had  been  left  in  charge  of  the 
younger  children  at  home,  and  had  adminis 
tered  rebuke  and  punishment  with  about  as 
little  delay  or  justice  as  farmer  Schaffer  seem 


34  LITTLE   PETE. 

ed  to  use  on  his  premises.  Pete  made  a  men 
tal  resolve  to  be  very  slow  in  future  to  con 
demn  others,  without  knowing  the  whole 
story  of  the  seeming  iniquity. 

There  had  been  two  spectators  to  the  scene 
that  had  just  taken  place.  Fritz  and  Bob, 
from  behind  a  clump  of  lilac-bushes,  had  been 
witnesses  to  the  whole  affair.  They  were  not 
a  little  disappointed  at  the  failure  of  their  in 
tended  joke  at  Pete's  expense,  when  he  so 
nimbly  repossessed  himself  of  his  precious 
bundle.  The  coming  up  of  their  father  gave 
a  new  turn  to  the  affair.  As  he  seized  Pete, 
Bob  whispered :  "  Now  he'll  tell,  and  we'll 
catch  it." 

"  He's  catching  it  himself !  My !  that  hurts, 
1  know,"  said  Fritz.  "  He's  mad  as  can  be, 
and  no  wonder,"  continued  Fritz,  as  he  saw 
Pete  stamping  on  the  ground  in  his  sudden 
wrath. 

All  this  the  boys  could  well  understand 
but  they  were  puzzled  at  the  change  in  Pete's 
demeanor.  They  had  never  had  the  tumult 
in  their  young  hearts  hushed  by  the  Voice  at 
whose  command  the  wild  waves  were  calmed 
on  stormy  Gennesaret.  They  had  never  lis- 


LITTLE   PETE.  35 

tened  to  the  still,  small  voice  within,  till  it 
had  charmed  away  the  painful  swellings  of 
anger  and  hate. 

"  What  does  that  mean  ?"  said  Bob  tim 
orously.  "  I  believe  he  has  made  up  his  mind 
tortell  on  us  ;  and  won't  we  get  it  if  he  does  ! 
He  had  better  not  begin  that  game.  I'll  make 
him  repent  it,  I'll  warrant." 

"  You  shan't  bully  the  life  out  of  that  little 
chap  ;  I've  told  you  so  once  before  this  morn 
ing,  Bob  Schaffer,"  said  Fritz  decidedly, 
"  and  I'll  make  you  mind  me.  The  rules  of 
war  must  be  observed.  You  may  hector  him 
as  much  as  you  please,  but  he's  too  little  for 
you  to  lay  your  hands  on." 

"  I  won't  have  you  laying  down  the  law 
every  three  minutes,"  said  Bob  sullenly.  "T 
shall  do  what  I  please  to  Pete  Derno." 

"  You  will,  will  you !"  was  the  hasty  reply. 
An  angry  flush  overspread  the  face  of  Fritz 
and  his  too  ready  right  hand  was  suddenly 
raised. 

At  that  moment  his  mother's  voice  was 
heard  calling  :  "  Boys  !  boys  !  I've  a  hot 
turnover-pie  for  you.  Boys  !  Fritz  I  Bob  !" 
By  the  time  Mrs.  Schaffer  had  done  calling, 


36  LITTLE   PETE. 

her  hopeful  sons  were  at  her  side,  to  receive 
the  little  pies  she  had  ordered  made  for  their 
special  benefit. 

Pete  was  now  sitting  on  the  door- step,  par 
ing  potatoes  as  cheerfully  as  if  he  had  nevei 
felt  the  smart  of  the  farmer's  broad,  strong 
hand. 

"  This  is  Pete  Derno.  You  must  be  very 
kind  to  him,  boys,"  said  the  mother.  "  He 
is  a  willing  little  chap.  He  and  I  have  had 
a  nice  time  together  this  morning — haven't 
we,  Pete  ?  I  wish  I  had  a  pie  for  you  too, 
Pete." 

At  this  thought  Mrs.  Schaffer  bustled  back 
to  the  kitchen  to  break  off  a  generous  piece 
from  a  "card"  of  gingerbread,  to  make  up 
for  what  she  deemed  a  sad  omissions 

"  Tell  on  us  if  you  dare,  Pete,"  said  Bob, 
with  an  ugly  scowl. 

Fritz  looked  inquiringly  at  Pete's  pleasant 
little  face,  and  was  silent.  He  could  not 
quite  understand  the  stranger. 

Pete  thought  Mrs.  Schaffer's  gingerbread 
about  the  nicest  thing  he  had  ever  tasted, 
and  so  he  told  her,  with  many  thanks. 

it  There,  lay  down  your  knife  and  take 


LITTLE   PETE.  37 

your  comfort.  Why,  I  believe  the  child  is 
half-starved.  Just  think  of  it,  Betty ;  he 
walked  ten  miles,  and  we  never  thought  to 
give  him  a  bite  till  this  blessed  minute.  Eat 
your  gingerbread,  child,  and  take  your  com 
fort." 

"With  this  parting  injunction,  Mrs.  Schaffer 
went  off  to  attend  to  her  household  duties, 
while  Pete  and  "  the  boys"  ate  their  lunch 
eon  together.  To  have  heard  them  chatting 
there  by  the  door-step  you  would  never  have 
dreamed  that  any  thing  but  peace  and  har 
mony  had  ever  existed  between  them.  Pete's 
droll,  merry  spirit  was  irresistible.  When 
he  took  up  his  knife  and  resumed  his  work, 
his  companions  did  not  forsake  him.  Fritz 
stretched  himself  on  the  grass,  while  Bob 
produced  a  fishing-line  from  his  pocket,  and 
began  to  pick  out  various  knots,  in  which  it 
was  mysteriously  tangled. 

Pete's  little  tongue  was  chattering  away,, 
and  Fritz  was  indulging  in  one  of  his  loud 
peals  of  laughter,  when  there  was  a  sudden,, 
heavy  tread  along  the  hall. 

"  Hush !  hush  up  !  Pete,"  said  Fritz,  his 
own  mirth  being  cooled  down  in  a  minute. 


38  LITTLE   PETE. 

"  There's  father  !  He  can't  bear  a  noise 
about  the  house." 

Pete  needed  no  second  warning.  He  had 
already  learned  the  lesson  that  farmer  Schaf- 
fer  was  not  to  be  trifled  with. 

"What  are  you  doing  here,  idling  away 
your  time  ?"  said  the  father. 

As  he  spoke,  he  strode  by  little  Pete  on 
the  door-step,  and  laid  hold  of  Fritz. 

"  Up,  young  man,  and  go  down  to  the 
stable  to  saddle  my  horse.  And  you,  Bob, 
put  up  the  bars  there  in  the  meadow.  You 
must  have  left  them  down  as  you  came 
through.  I  have  told  you,  boys,  times 
enough  that  I  would  not  have  you  coming 
through  -the  fields,  trampling  down  the  grain, 
when  there  was  a  way  round  the  road." 

Fritz  set  off  with  a  defiant  air  for  the  stable, 
while  Bob,  with  a.  surly  look,  disappeared  in 
the  direction  of  the  meadow.  They  were 
neither  of  them  seen  again  till  dinner.  Pete 
soon  found  out  that  it  was  their  policy  to 
keep  as  much  as  possible  out  of  the  way  of 
their  father,  who  seldom  inquired  how  they 
spent  their  time  if  he  did  not  see  them  idling 
or  quarrelling  right  under  his  eyes. 


LITTLE   PETE.  39 

Never  before  had  Pete  known  how  to 
prize  the  wise,  kind  government  of  his  judi 
cious  mother.  In  a  few  days  at  farmer 
Schaffer's  he  learned  mpre  the  value  of  her 
careful  training  than  in  all  the  years  of  his 
previous  life. 

Mr.  Schaffer's  over-severity  and  the  over 
indulgence  of  his  wife  were  calculated  to 
make  just  such  children  as  they  were  raising. 
The  mother  was  always  ready  to  screen  from 
the  father  the  faults  of  the  boys,  lest  his 
hasty,  rigorous  punishment  should  overtake 
them  in  her  very  presence,  and  fairly  set  her 
to  crying,  even  more  heartily  than  the  delin 
quents  themselves. 

Our  little  pilgrim  did  not  find  his  path 
strewn  with  roses  at  farmer  'Schaffer's,  as  we 
may  well  presume.  Was  he  home-sick? 
Did  he  beg  to  be  taken  back  to  his  mother  ? 
Did  he  run  away?  Did  he  learn  to  fight 
and  bully  and  deceive  ?  Did  he  take  advan 
tage  of  the  indulgence  of  his  mistress,  and 
waste  and  idle  away  the  time  that  was  right 
fully  hers  ? 

Ah !  Pete  was  tempted  to  one  and  all  of 
these  misdemeanors.  He  was  tempted,  but 


40  LITTLE   PETE. 

lie  did  not  yield;  and  why  ?  Morning,  noon, 
and  night  he  prayed  for  strength  to  fulfill 
his  duties  amid  his  many  trials,  and  to  bear 
cheerfully  and  patiently  the  annoyances  of 
his  lot.  Day  by  day  he  thanked  his  Hea 
venly  Father  for  the  abundant  food  that  was 
ever  ready  for  him,  for  the  snug  bed  that 
awaited  him  at  night,  and  for  the  health  and 
^  strength  which  made  even  life  and  labor  a 
pleasure  to  him.  Very  earnestly  prayed  little 
Pete  that  a  blessing  might  fall  on  the  house 
hold  of  which  he  was  now  a  member,  aul 
that  amid  his  temptations,  he  might  so  live 
like  a  Christian  child  that  others  should 
glorify  his  Father  in  heaven. 


V. 

BITTEE   HEEBS. 


T)ETE  bad  been  a  week  at  farmer  Schaf- 
JL  fer's,  a  long,  long  week  it  had  seemed  to 
him.  Through  many  trying  encounters  with 
Fritz  and  Bob  he  had  come  off  without  injury 
of  life  or  limb,  and  on  many  a  threatening 
occasion  his  merry  spirit  had  turned  into  a 
laugh  what  promised,  on  his  side  at  least,  to 
be  crying  matter.  The  week  had  not  been 
without  its  keen  pleasures  to  Pete.  He  had 
become  intimate  with  every  living  inmate  of 
the  farm-yard — horses  and  mules,  pigs  and 
poultry,  cows  and  calves;  he  knew  them 
one  and  all,  and  could  count  them  over  on 
his  fingers  at  a  moment's  warning.  In  the 
midst  of  his  general  interest  in  these  new 
dumb  friends,  Pete's  particular  preference 
was  for  the  calf  and  its  invalid  mamma, 
whose  acquaintance  he  had  made  immediate- 
4* 


42  LITTLE   PETE. 

ly  on  his  arrival  at  the  farm.  The  calf  was 
in  a  most  promising  condition,  and  conde 
scended  now  to  eat  grass  and  drink  milk  in 
the  most  obliging  manner ;  but  the  health  of 
the  cow  was  by  no  means  fully  reestablished. 
Mrs.  Schaffer  still  looked  grave  and  doubtful 
when  her  case  was  mentioned,  and  continued 
to  declare  that  all  was  not  right  with  her. 

"If  I  could  only  see  her  chewing  her  cud 
once  more,  I  should  be  content,"  said  the 
farmer's  wife ;  "  until  that  comes  right,  she 
can't  be  well." 

To  bring  about  this  desirable  end  various 
expedients  had  been  tried,  which,  although 
apparently  very  annoying  to  the  patient,  had 
not  produced  the  much  wished  for  effect.  A 
narrow  slice  of  pork  as  long  as  Pete's  arm 
had  been  forced  down  her  throat  in  vain, 
and  the  prescribed  "  strip  of  a.  dish-cloth 
rolled  in  dough "  proved  no  more  effective. 
Monday  morning  had  come  round  again,  and 
Mrs.  Schaffer  had  risen  in  a  peculiarly  active 
and  energetic  spirit. 

"  Betty,"  she  said,  "  we  must  bring  the 
spotted  cow  right  to-day,  if  we  can.  "We 
haven't  tried  the  green  ball  yet.  I  have 


LITTLE   PETE.  43 

known  that  to  succeed  when  nothing  else 
would." 

Pete  was  listening,  all  eyes  and  ears,  to 
know  what  this  new  remedy  would  be,  but 
he  prudently  forebore  any  questions,  but 
waited  to  see  how  time  would  develop  it.  It 
was  to  be  Pete's  lot  to  have  his  own  share  in 
preparing  this  prescription. 

As  soon  as  breakfast  was  over,  Mrs.  Schaf- 
fer  took  him  aside  and  said  : 

"  Now,  Pete,  I  want  you  to  look  me  out 
nine  bitter  herbs,  a  piece  of  each,  to  make  a 
ball  for  the  cow.  They  need  not  be  so  very 
bitter,  but  something  that  has  a  smart,  strong 
taste.  If  that  don't  bring  back  her  cud,  we 
may  as  well  knock  her  in  the  head,  for  she 
won't  get  well." 

"Must  there  be  just  nine,  Mrs.  Schaffer?" 
said  Pete,  with  great  interest. 

The  farmer's  wife  was  restless  under  the 
question,  but  she  answered,  without  irrita 
tion. 

"  Mr.  Schaffer  says  it's  all  nonsense  about 
there  being  nine  or  nineteen  herbs,  bitter  or 
sweet,  in  the  ball ;  so  you  get  her  well  choked 
with  something  she  makes  out  to  swallow  at 


44  LITTLE   PETE. 

last,  that  is  all  that  is  needed.  But  men  don't 
know  every  thing.  I  got  it  from  an  old  aunty, 
who  was  very  knowing  about  the  almanac 
and  signs,  and  such  things,  and  it  is  my  be 
lief  that  you  must  have  just  nine  kinds  of 
bitter  herbs,  if  you  want  the  thing  to  be 
worth  trying.  Now  set  off,  Pete,  and  when 
you  get  your  two  hands  well  full,  press  and 
pat  the  herbs  a  little,  as  if  you  were  making 
a  snow-ball,  until  you  get  it  smooth  and 
round,  and  then  cover  it  with  clover,  and  call 
Betty." 

Pete  started  at  once,  much  impressed  with 
the  importance  of  his  mission.  Tansy  and 
sorrel,  "  old  man's  pepper-grass  "  and  dande 
lion,  he  had  gathered  without  difficulty,  and 
then  he  came  to  a  stop.  Where  was  he  to  find 
the  five  other  plants  to  t  make  up  the  requisite 
number?  Along  the  edges  of  the  nearest 
field,  and  among  the  clusters  of  foliage  near 
the  large  stones,  Pete  continued  his  search. 
Burdock  and  mallows  had  been  added  to  his 
collection,  when  he  was  interrupted  in  his 
labors  by  the  shout  of  "Hallo!  Pete;  what 
are  you  doing  there,  creeping  along  the 
fences.,  like  a  regular  sneak?" 


LITTLE   PETE.  45 

Fritz  was  the  speaker,  and  Bob,  as  usual, 
was  close  in  his  rear. 

Pete  explained  the  errand  upon  which  he 

had  been  sent,  and  displayed  the  treasures  of 

•  his  incomplete   collection.     Fritz  burst  into 

one  of  his  loud  laughs,  exclaiming :     "Just 

o         /  o 

an  old  woman's  notion,  nothing  else.  Come, 
I'll  give  you  something  better  to  do.  We 
are  going  fishing,  and  want  you  to  dig  us 
some  bait.  Put  down  your  greens,  and  take 
this  shovel,  and  go  to  work  at  once." 

"  I  must  mind  Mrs.  Schaffer  first,"  said 
Pete  decidedly. 

u  You  must,  must  you?"  said  Fritz  fierce 
ly.  "  She  won't  even  scold  you,  if  you  give 
her  the  slip.  But  I  tell  you,  I  will  be  mind 
ed  ;  so  set  to  work  at  once." 

Pete  did  set  to  work,  but  it  was  to  search 
among  the  vines  and  shrubs  along  the  fence, 
for  some  new  plant  that  would  suit  his  pur 
pose. 

A  strong,  hard  slap  came  down  upon  him 
suddenly.  Pete's  eyes  were  full  of  tears  from 
the  stinging  pain,  but  he  looked  up  with  fixed 
determination,  as  he  said:  "Fritz,  you  can 


46  LITTLE   PETE. 

beat  me,  if  you  choose,  but  I  shall  try  to 
mind  your  mother." 

"  Come  along,  Fritz,"  said  Bob,  giving  a 
knowing  wink  to  his  companion,  "  there  is  a 
better  way  to  punish  him." 

The  boys  went  off,  whispering  together, 
while  Pete  continued  his*  search.  "Lady's 
sorrel,"  white  weed,  and  a  bit  of  sassafras 
were  added  at  last,  and  then  they  were  all 
covered  with  a  coating  of  clover.  Three  or 
four  large  specimens  of  four-leaved  clover 
had  come  in  Pete's  way,  and  he  had  treasured 
them,  as  they  had  for  him  the  attraction  they 
have  to  most  children.  On  the  outside  of 
the  ball,  he  now  placed  them,  and  having 
completed  his  work,  he  put  it  on  the  horse 
block,  near  the  barn,  and  ran  to  call  Betty. 

Betty  promptly  obeyed  the  summons. 
"See,"  said  Pete,  "see  what  splendid  four- 
leaved  clovers !" 

As  he  spoke,  he  took  up  the  green  ball 
from  the  block,  and  turned  it  round  and 
round  in  his  hand.  No  clover  at  all  was  to 
be  seen  on  the  ball,  and  as  Betty  looked  at  it, 
she  exclaimed:  "Put  it  down,  Pete,  put  it 
down.  Why,  there's  St.  John's  weed  in  it, 


LITTLE   PETE.  47 

and  laurel  too ;  and  poison  parsley,  I  declare. 
Do  you  want  to  kill  the  cow,  and  yourself 
too  ?  You  must  be  a  raw  one,  not  to  know 
those  things  were  not  fit  to  handle." 

"  Tansy,  sorrel,  old  man's  pepper-grass, 
dandelion,  white-weed,  lady's-sorrel,  sassafras, 
burdock,  and  mallows — that  was  j^ist  what  I 
had,"  said  Pete,  counting  on  his  fingers,  as  he 
named  the  plants  in  order.  "  This  is  not  my 
ball,  Betty.  Mine  was  covered  all  over,  too, 
with  clover,  and  had  some  four-leaved  clo 
vers,  all  spread  out  on  one  side.  Somebody 
has  put  it  here  for  mischief." 

" Those  abominable  boys!"  exclaimed  Bet 
ty.  "  I'd  go  right  and  tell  their  father,  if  I 
was  you.  He'd  whip  them  within  an  inch  of 
their  lives,  if  he  knew  it." 

"I  think  I  had  better  make  up  another 
ball  just  as  quick  as  I  can,"  said  Pete,  with 
out  giving  Betty  any  direct  answer.  "  They 
could  not  have  wanted  to  poison  me  or  hurt 
the  cow,"  he  continued,  as  if  talking  to  him 
self. 

"  They  just  wanted  to  get  you  into  trouble, 
and  make  out  you  had  hurt  the  cow,  if  any 
harm  came  of  it.  They  reckoned  at  the  least 


48  LITTLE   PETE. 

you'd  have  a  fine  pair  of  sore  hands  after 
^touching  that  thing.  It  was  Bob  that  made 
it  up,  I  know ;  nothing  ever  poisons  him. 
A  pity  something  don't.  It  would  be  no 
more  than  he  deserves,  the  scamp  !'1 

Pete  looked  very  serious  as  he  answered  : 

"  I  can't  think  they  meant  it,  really.  I 
don't  believe  they  thought  what  they  were 
doing." 

"  It's  their  business  to  think.  They  don't 
mind  if  they  pull  the  house  down,  if  they 
can  only  get  a  trick  off  on  a  body.  I  say 
such  boys  are  a  nuisance  I"  said  Betty. 

Pete  thought  of  his  own  mischievous  spirit, 
and  of  the  pains  his  mother  had  taken  to 
teach  him  its  danger.  But  for  her  fce  might 
have  been  tempted  to  go  as  far  as  Fritz  and 
Bob  had  now  done,  and  risk  the  life  of  a 
poor  animal  as  well  as  the  credit  and  comfort 
of  an  innocent  boy. 

As  Pete's  eyes  wandered  off  while  these 
thoughts  were  passing  through  his  mind,  he 
caught  a  glimpse  of  something  green  hidden 
behind  the  water-trough,  near  him.  He 
sprang  toward  it.  It  was  his  own  ball ;  there 


LITTLE   PETE.  49 

could  be  no  mistake— there  were  the  four- 
leaved  clovers  pressed  on  as  he  had  left  them. 

"  Here  it  is  ;  now  we  had  better  give  it  to 
her  at  once/'  said  Pete  triumphantly,  lead 
ing  the  way  promptly  to  the  door  of  poor 
"  Molly's  "  stall. 

Pete  wondered  as  usual  at  the  patient 
submission  of  the  cow  during  the  adminis 
tration  of  the  dose,  but  Betty  wondered  far 
more  at  the  sweet,  placid  face  of  little  Pete 
after  his  late  sore  provocation. 

She  could  not  know  that  in  the  very  mo 
ment  of  the  discovery  of  the  trick,  Pete  had 
prayed  for  his  tormentors,  and  fairly  trem 
bled  at  the  thought  of  the  length  to  which 
their  wild  and  wicked  spirit  was  carrying 
them. 

Not  in  vain  had  Pete  read  so  many  times 
the  story  of  Him  who,  even  in  the  midst  of 
the  agonies  of  the  cross,  could  utter  the  peti 
tion  :  "  Father,  forgive  them,  they  know  not 
what  they  do." 
5 


VI. 
THE    LETTEB. 


WHEN  farmer  Scliaffer's  family  were 
gathered  at  the  tea-table,  the  wife  look 
ed  across  at  her  husband  and  said : 

u  The  nine  kinds  of  bitter  herbs  did  some- 
good  this  time.  The  cow  is  chewing  her  cud, 
and  seems  right  well.  Don't  she,  Pete  ?" 

Pete  had  come  into  the  dining-room  at  this 
moment,  with  a  plate  of  hot  cakes  in  his 
hand. 

"She  seems  all  right,  ma'am,"  answered 
Pete. 

As  he  spoke  he  looked  not  at  his  mistress, 
but  at  Fritz  and  Bob  with  an  anxious,  inquir 
ing  glance.  Bob  seemed  confused,  and  cast 
down  his  eyes,  but  Fritz  whispered  as  Pete 
passed  him : 

"  We'll  be  up  with  you  another  time, 
youngster." 


LITTLE   PETE.  51 

"You  got  that  letter  into  the  office  safely, 
boys,"  said  Mr.  Schaffer,  riot  condescending 
to  take  any  notice  of  his  wife's  last  remark. 

Now  it  was  Fritz's  turn  to  start  and  look 
confused,  while  Bob  opened  his  mouth  to 
speak. 

"  Stop  I"  said  Fritz,  giving  his  brother  an 
angry  thrust  with  his  elbow.  "  Don't  go  to 
lying  about  it,  Bob.  You'll  be  found  out  in 
the  end,  and  make  it  so  much  the  worse  for 
you."  Fritz  fumbled  in  all  his  pockets,  and 
then  said  boldly :  We've  lost  the  letter,  fa 
ther.  I  hope  it  was  not  of  much  account." 

"  Account !  It  had  more  money  in  it  than 
your  heads  are  worth.  I  was  worried  after 
ward  that  I  trusted  you  with  it ;  but  I  could 
not  go  to  town  myself,  and  it  was  important 
it  should  get  into  the  mail  to-day.  You  will 
catch  it  for  this,  young  gentlemen.  Let  me 
see  you  walk  straight  to  the  garret.  It  won't 
take  me  long  to  get  my  horsewhip.  Walk!" 

Fritz  stood  up  very  straight  and  marched 
off  up -stairs  like  a  soldier  going  into  battle, 
while  Bob,  fairly  whimpering,  followed  close 
at  his  heels. 

Mr.  Schaffer  made  fast  the  garret-stairs. 


52  ;       LITTLE   PETE. 

"  He'll  hardly  leave  a  whole  bone  in  their 
body,"  said  .Betty,  who  had  overheard  the 
whole  conversation  from  the  adjacent  kitchen. 

Mrs.  Schaffer  threw  herself  into  a  chair, 
and  began  to  cry  and  bemoan  herself  as  one 
of  the  most  miserable  women  in  the  world. 
Mr.  Schaffer  had  stepped  to  the  barn  to  get 
his  whip.  Betty  soon  peered  out  the  door  to 
see  what  had  become  of  him,  and  did  not 
know  whether  to  be  glad  or  sorry  when  she 
saw  a  neighbor  holding  the  farmer  by  the 
button,  and  delaying  the  execution  of  his  in 
tended  vengeance. 

"May  I  go  to  the  meadow,  Mrs.  Schaffer? 
May  I  go  to  the  meadow  ?  May  be  I  could 
find  the  letter,"  said  Pete. 

Mrs.  Schaffer  threw  down  the  apron  with 
which  she  had  been  screening  her  face,  and 
said : 

"  Go !  yes,  go  !  Pete.  That's  a  good  boy  ! 
If  you  could  only  find  it  before  he  comes  in  I" 

u  You  wouldn't  now  help  those  boys  out 
of  their  scrape  if  you  could,  Pete,"  said  Betty 
wonderingly. 

Pete  did  not  stay  to  hear  Betty's  remon 
strances.  He  remembered  seeing  a  letter  in 


LITTLE   PETE.  53 

Bob's  hand  as  the  boys  came  up  to  him  in 
the  meadow.  He  fancied,  too,  he  saw  Bob 
give  it  to  Fritz  as  they  went  off  whispering 
together. 

Round  the  meadow  went  Pete  in  his  eager 
search,  until  he  came  to  the  edge  of  the 
woods  on  its  border.  There,  under  a  laurel- 
bush,  lay  something  -white.  Yes,  it  was  the 
letter,  still  safe  and  sound !  Pete  sped  to 
ward  the  house  as  if  on  wings. 

"  I've  got  it,  Mrs.  Schaffer.  I've  got  it !" 
he  exclaimed  ;  then  on  he  hurried  to  hail  the 
boys  from  the  foot  of  the  stairs.  "  Bob  ! 
Fritz !  Bob  I  say !  I  have  found  the  letter 
under  the  laurel-bush.  I'll  give  it  to  your 
father  as  soon  as  he  comes  in.  He's  talking 
now,  by  the  barn,  with  a  man  I  don't  know. 
I  don't  believe  he'll  whip  you,  now  the  letter 
is  found." 

There  was  no  answer  from  within,  and 
Pete  hurried  down-stairs  to  meet  Mr.  Schaf 
fer,  whose  footstep  was  already  heard  below. 

"Here  is  the  letter,  Mr.  Schaffer,"  said 
Pete,  with  beaming  eyes.  "You  won't  whip 
the  boys  now  ;  will  you,  please  ?" 

"  The  letter,  Pete !  so  it  is !"  said  the 
5* 


54  LITTLE   PETE. 

farmer,  brightening.  "  Where  did  you  find 
it?" 

"  In  the  meadow,  where  the  looys  dropped 
it — right  under  a  bush,"  said  Pete. 

"  No  thanks  to  those  young  scamps.  They 
deserve  a  whipping." 

"  But  you  won't "  began  Pete. 

"  It's  a  queer  thing  you  want  them  to  get 
off.  I'll  venture  you  owe  them  no  mercy," 
said  the  farmer  with  a  puzzled  look.  "  But, 
see  here,  young  man,  I've  a  settlement  to 
make  with  you.  Is  this  the  kind  of  ball  of 
bitter  herbs  you  make  for  Mrs.  Schaffer's 
cow  ?  I  found  it  just  now  while  I  was  talk 
ing  with  Mr.  Sprott  in  the  barn-yard. 

Mr.  Schaffer  held  out  the  poison-ball,  and 
looked  searchingly  at  Pete. 

"  I  didn't  make  up  that  ball,"  said  Pete, 
with  confusion. 

"  Tell  me  the  truth  about  it,"  said  the 
farmer,  with  an  authoritative  snap  with  the 
horsewhip  he  had  in  his  hand. 

Pete  was  silent  a  moment.  He  wanted  to 
do  exactly  what  was  right.  It  was,  after  all, 
but  suspicion  of  the  boys  on  his  part.  Yet 


LITTLE   PETE.  55 

the  letter  under  the  laurel-bush  —  that  was 
strong  evidence  against  them. 

"  Speak!"  said  Mr.  Schaffer.  The  whip 
made  a  whizzing  sweep  in  the  neighborhood 
of  Pete's  little  body  that  was  by  no  means 
pleasing. 

"  Mr.  Schaffer,'7  said  Betty,  taking  a  step 
forward  and  setting  her  arms  akimbo,  "  Mr. 
Schaffer,  I  don't  know  what  is  in  Pete.  He 
hates  to  tell  on  those  boys  of  yours,  and  get 
them  into  trouble,  though  they  lead  him  a 
dog's  life.  I'll  tell  you  all  about  that  poison 
thing." 

"Betty!  Betty!"  interposed  Mrs.  Schaffer. 

"  Silence !  Go  on,  Betty  I"  thundered  the 
farmer. 

Betty  did  go  on,  telling  all  she  had  gath 
ered  from  Pete  about  the  ball,  and  adding 
her  own  firm  conviction  that  Messrs.  Bob 
and  Fritz  were  the  compounders  of  the  pre 
cious  dose. 

"  Do  you  think  Bob  and  Fritz  made  up 
this  ball  to  get  you  into  mischief,  and  may  be 
poison  the  cow,  Pete?  Answer  me  truly," 
said  the  farmer  sternly. 


56  LITTLE   PETE. 

"  I  don't  know  certainly,  but  I  think  so," 
said  Pete  with  some  hesitation. 

"  Then  why,  in  the  name  of  wonder,  don't 
you  want  the  very  skin  whipped  off  from 
them  ?  And  why  did  you  look  so  pleased 
about  the  letter  ?  One  would  have  thought 
you  were  to  slip  the  whipping,  not  they." 

Pete  stood  up  in  the  midst  of  the  great 
kitchen,  a  little,  slender  boy,  before  the  stout 
farmer  with  the  horsewhip  in  his  hand. 
Could  he  speak  out  the  very  truth  from  his 
heart?  He  would  try.  His  Saviour  was 
present  with  him;  he  would  not  blush  to 
own  that  Lord.  He  began : 

"  Mr.  Schaffer,  I  did  not  want  the  boys 
whipped.  I  had  tried  very  hard  to  forgive 
them  and  love  them,  though  they  haven't 
been  kind  to  me.  It  makes  me  sorry  to  see 
them  so  bad,  and  worries  me,  too,  for  I  am 
afraid  God  will  punish  them.  I  think  God 
has  helped  me  to  feel  kindly  to  them  or  I 
couldn't  do  it.  That's  all,  sir.  I  want  them 
to  be  good  boys — I  do,  sir." 

"Pete,"  said  the  farmer,  much  moved, 
"  Pete,  I  won't  whip  them.  You  may  go 
and  tell  them  just  what  you  have  told  me. 


LITTLE   PETE.  57 

Let  them  come  down  when  they  choose. 
The  young  rascals,  they  will  have  to  learn 
to  let  poison  alone  after  this." 

Pete  hurried  up-stairs  and  unlocked  the 
garret- door. 

"Where  are  you,  boys?"  he  said  cheer 
fully. 

There  was  no  answer.  Pete  sprang  up  the 
steep  stairway.  Bob  was  sitting  astride  a 
vinegar-barrel,  and  slowly  rocking  from  side 
to  side.  Fritz  was  standing  irresolutely  near 
him. 

"  I  found  the  letter,  Fritz.  Your  father 
knows  all  about  the  ball.  He  picked  it  up 
in  the  barn-yard,  and  Betty  told  him  about 
it,,  but  he  has  promised  me  he  will  not  whip 
you.  He  let  me  come  to  tell  you." 

Pete  looked  up  kindly  into  the  face  of  the 
strong,  rough  boy  as  he  spoke. 

"  I  am  ashamed  of  myself,  Pete,  I  am,'' 
said  Fritz.  "  I've  treated  you  like  a  savage. 
What  makes  you  take  it  the  way  you  do  ? 
If  you  had  fought  and  lied  and  told  and 
made  mischief  for  me,  I  could  have  kept  it 
up ;  but  I  can't  stand  this.  What  makes  you 
do  the  way  you  do  ?'7 


58  LITTLE   PETE. 

"I  want  to  be  a  Christian,  Fritz,'7  said 
Pete.  "  Mother  told  me  when  I  came  away 
I  must  try  to  act  here  like  a  Christian  boy, 
and  if  I  had  any  trouble  at  first  it  would  be 
sure  to  all  come  right  in  the  end." 

"And  it  shall  come  right,'1  said  Fritz 
heartily.  "  Your  way  is  the  best,  and  I  am 
ashamed  of  myself,  I  am.  Haven't  you  a 
word  to  say  for  yourself,  Bob  Schaffer  ?" 

"  I'm  glad  you  got  us  out  of  the  whipping, 
Pete,"  said  Bob,  when  thus  appealed  to. 

Fritz  gave  him  a  look  of  ineffable  scorn, 
and  then  took  Pete  by  the  hand  to  go  down 
stairs. 

"  Your  father  said  you  might  both  come 
down,"  said  Pete,  looking  at  Bob. 

"I  don't  want  to  come  down,"  said  Bob 
sullenly. 

Fritz  made  his  way  straight  to  the  dining- 
room,  where  the  farmer  was  talking  with  his 
wife. 

"Father,"  said  Fritz,  "I've  tormented 
Pete's  life  out  of  him,  and  plagued  him 
every  way  I  could.  Bob  and  I  made  up 
that  ball  just  to  get  him  into  trouble.  We 
deserved  a  whipping,  a  real  sound  one.  I 


LITTLE   PETE.  59 

am  asliamed  of  myself.  Pete,  here,  is  worth, 
fifteen  such  boys  as  I  am.  He  has  done  the 
handsome  thing  by  me,  and  I  mean  to  take 
pattern  after  him.  There,  now,  I've  said  all 
I  want  to,  but  just  one  thing  more.  Bad  as  I 
am,  you  know  I  speak  the  truth.  I  say  I 
mean  to  be  a  better  boy." 

Where  was  the  stern,  cold  farmer  Schaf-^ 
fer  ?    Not  certainly  in  that  father  with  mbist- 
ened  eyes,  who  now  took  Fritz  by  the  hand. 

"  I  have  hopes  of  you,  my  son,  I  have 
hopes  of  you,"  said  the  farmer.  "  The 
wrong  has  not  been  all  on  your  side.  Your 
mother  and  I  have  been  talking  about  it. 
She  has  been  too  easy  with  you,  and  I  have 
been  too  hard  on  you,  maybe.  Yes,  I  know 
I  have.  Things  must  be  changed.  You  and 
Bob  must  be  sent  away  to  school.  That  will 
be  the  best  thing,  the  very  best  thing." 

"  They  needn't  go  just  yet,  need  they?" 
interrupted  Mrs.  Schaffer. 

"At 'once,  Mrs.  Schaffer. .  I  shall  take  them 
away  to-morrow  noon.  You  can  have  their 
clothes  looked  up  and  sent  after  them.  If  I 
don't  go  to-morrow,  I  shan't  be  able  to  for 
two  weeks.  We  can't  have  boys  that  make 


60  LITTLE   PETE. 

poison-balls  about  here.  They  must  be 
under  masters  who  can  look  after  them. 
Where  is  that  sneaking  fellow,  Bob  ?  Why 
don't  he  show  his  face  here  ?  He  knows  I 
am  not  going  to  whip  him.  Bob !  Bob 
Schaffer !  come  down  this  moment !" 

Bob  came  shuffling  down  the  stairs,  and 
stood  before  his  father. 

"  You  are  a  mean  young  rascal,"  began 
the  farmer ;  then  checking  himself,  he  chang 
ed  his  manner  and  said  :  "I  am  ashamed  of 
you,  Bob  ;fc  but,  as  I  have  been  telling  Fritz, 
your  mother  and  I  are  partly  to  blame  for 
your  being  such  scamps  as  you  are.  She  has 
indulged  you  and  petted  you  with  her  pies 
and  her  permissions  to  do  any  thing  you 
pleased.  I  have  scolded  and  whipped,  hop 
ing  to  make  something  out  of  you,  and  may 
be  gone  as  far  wrong  as  she.  Any  how,  you 
don't  do  us  much  credit.  You  are  to  go  off 
to  school  to-morrow,  and  I  want  you  to  turn 
over  a  new  leaf  and  see  if  you  can't  be  a  dif 
ferent  boy.  I  won't  ask  you  to  promise.  I 
have  not  always  found  your  promises  worth 
much.  But  I  do  say,  if  you  don't  change 
your  ways  you'll  come  to  the  gallows  some 


LITTLE   PETE.  61 

day,  or  deserve  to  swing,  if  you  don't  get 
your  deserts.  Boys  who  will  try  to  poison 
the  skin  of  an  innocent  boy,  or  to  kill  a  cow, 
that  he  may  bear  the  blame,  had  better  look 
out.  They  are  mighty  near  the  murderer's 
track.  Go  to  bed,  now,  Bob  Schaffer,  and  see 
for  the  future  that  you  are  a  different  boy." 

"  Mayn't  I  have  a  cake  before  I  go  ?  I 
didn't  finish  my  supper,"  said  Bob. 

Mrs.  Schaffer  moved  toward  the  cupboard. 

"Stand  still,  Mrs.  Schaffer!"  said  the 
farmer  angrily.  "  I  believe  the  only  place 
where  that  boy  feels  is  in  his  stomach.  Get 
you  to  bed  at  once,  Bob  Schaffer,  and  be 
glad  that  nothing  worse  overtake  you  than 
going  without  your  supper.  I  can  hardly 
keep  my  hands  off  from  you." 

Fritz  had  already  disappeared,  and  Bob 
now  reluctantly  followed. 

We  will  not  relate  the  conversation  that 
took  place  between  the  farmer  and  his  wife 
that  evening.  Suffice  it  to  say,  each  saw 
cause  for  bitter  self-reproach  in  the  past,  and 
looked  tremblingly  toward  the  future  in 
store  for  their  sons.  They  could  send  them 
from  them  to  be  under  the  care  of  skillful 
6 


62  LITTLE   PETE. 

masters,  but  as  yet  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Schaffer 
were  far  from  the  true  secret  of  rightly 
training  their  children,  even  the  bringing 
them  up  in  the  fear  of  the  Lord. 

It  was  late  before  little  Pete  fell  asleep 
that  night.  His  heart  was  full  of  deep  grati 
tude  for  the  kind,  judicious,  Christian  mother 
who  had  watched  over  his  early  days.  How 
he  thanked  her  for  the  loving  gentleness  that 
had  smiled  on  his  innocent  sports,  and  the 
patient  strictness  with  which  she  had  kept 
him  in  the  path  of  duty !  "What  might  he 
not  have  been  but  for  such  a  mother  !  Pete 
had  another  pleasant  subject  for  thought. 
The  few  words  that  Fritz  had  spoken  might 
be  for  him  the  beginning  of  a  new  and  better 
life.  Very  earnestly  Pete  prayed  that  the 
spirit  of  God  might  strengthen  Fritz's  new 
resolution,  and  help  him  to  be  truly  a  Christ 
ian  boy.  Pete  well  knew  that  no  reforma 
tion,  however  outwardly  fair  and  promising, 
can  be  relied  upon  unless  it  is  made  in  His 
strength  who  alone  can  purify  and  rale  the 
guilty  human  soul. 


VII. 
GLAD    TIDINGS. 


"T1KITZ  and  Bob  had  been  more  than  a 
JC  month,  away  at  school.  On  Pete  Mrs. 
Schaffer  now  lavished  her  indulgence  and  her 
"  goodies,"  and.  only  Pete's  earnest  deter 
mination  to  do  his  duty  kept  him  from  fall 
ing  into  habits  of  negligence  and  self-indul 
gence.  When  thus  tried  and  tempted,  he 
became  more  and  more  kindly  in  his  judg 
ment  of  the  absent  boys,  who  had  been 
brought  up  from  babyhood  under  this  un 
wise  training. 

Several  letters,  poorly  written  and  badly 
spelt,  had  arrived  from  the  boys.  The  bulk 
of  the  correspondence  fell  on  Fritz,  Bob  only 
adding  a  postscript  to  ask  for  a  "  box  "  from 
home,  or  some  spending  money  to  buy  cakes, 
the  boarding-school  fare  not  being  at  all  to 
his  mind. 


64  LITTLE   PETE. 

Pete  was  much,  pleased  to  receive  one  day 
a  letter,  directed  to  him  in  Fritz's  own  writ 
ing.  He.  opened  it  eagerly  and  read : 

DEAR  LITTLE  PETE  :  I  want  to  tell  you  something, 
but  I  don't  know  how  to  say  it.  I  have  not  forgotten 
the  talk  we  had  in  the  barn  the  day  I  went  away. 
You  know  what  you  said  to  me  about  praying  and 
reading  the  Bible  every  day  if  I  really  wanted  to  be  a 
good  boy.  The  planting  and  sowing,  you  called  it, 
waiting  for  the  rain  and  sunshine  to  come.  I've  been 
planting  and  sowing,  and  mighty  hard  it  came,  some 
times  ;  but  I  kept  at  it  because  I  promised.  It  don't 
come  hard  now.  Somehow  I  feel  different.  That  is 
what  I  wanted  to  tell  you.  I  can't  put  it  on  paper. 

I  am  studying  American  History.  We  have  twenty 
boys  in  school.  I  have  made  the  biggest  kite  you 
ever  saw.  My  knife  is  all  sawed  on  the  edge  and  al 
most  spoiled.  Bob  is  sitting  on  the  bed  eating  pea 
nuts.  He  don't  like  school ;  I  wish  he  did. 

Little  Pete,  I  don't  think  I  have  quite  made  you 
understand  what  I  mean  to  say.  I  an't  fit  to  be 
called  a  Christian  boy,  but  that  is  what  I  am  trying 
for.  I  think  a  great  deal  about  you  and  our  talk  in 
the  barn.  If  I  ever  get  to  heaven,  it  was  you  that  set 
me  right.  Give  my  love  to  father  and  mother. 

Your  friend,  FRITZ  SCHAFFER. 

Pete  was  no  critic.  The  blots  and  the  bad 
spelling  of  the  letter  (which  we  have  left 


LITTLE   PETE.  65 

out)  were  nothing  to  him.  His  heart  over 
flowed  with  grateful  joy  as  he  read  poor 
Fritz's  dim  and  awkward  announcement  of 
the  great  and  blessed  change  that  had  come 
over  his  soul.  Pete  might  have  trouble  and 
sorrows  afterward  in  life,  but  he  would  never 
forget  that  moment  of  pure  gladness.  * 

"Let  me  see  Fritz's  letter,"  said  Mrs.  Schaf- 
fer,  when  Pete  had  done  reading.  "I  won 
der  what  made  him  write  to  you  this  time." 

Mrs.  Schaffer  bent  over  the  letter  in  si 
lence.  When  she  had  done  she  folded  it  up 
slowly,  and  placed  it  in  Pete's  hand  without 
a  word.  Yet  she  kissed  the  little  fellow  be 
fore  she  left  the  kitchen,  and  went  up-stairs 
quietly  to  her  own  room. 

Where  is  the  mother,  herself  a  stranger  to 
Christ,  who  is  not  touched  and  softened  by 
the  glad  tidings  that  she  has  a  child  on  the 
heavenly  path  ? 
6* 


VIII. 
CONCLUSION. 


\7~EAKS  rolled  by,  and  Fritz  Schaffer  had 
1  become  an  upright,  industrious,  Christ 
ian  farmer,  a  blessing  to  his  home  and  neigh 
borhood.  In  his  tenant-house,  and  in  his 
employ,  was  honest  Peter  Derno,  no  longer 
little  Pete,  but  an  active,  strong- limbed, 
sturdy  man,  albeit  small  in  "Stature.  Peter 
had  a  lively  home  to  which  to  return  at 
evening.  His  mother  was  sure  to  be  at 
the  door  to  give  him  a  welcome,  and  there 
were  brothers  and  sisters  to  gather  round  his 
table  and  share  the  comforts  won  by  his  in 
dustry  and  trials.  There  was  a  blessing  on 
that  humble  home.  The  children,  trained 
up  in  the  nurture  and  admonition  of  the 
Lord,  had  not  departed  from  the  ways  of 
peace.  They  were  "  requiting  "  their  mother 
for  her  faithful  care,  and  honoring  her  before 


LITTLE   PETE.  67 

all  men  by  their  faithful,  consistent,  Christ 
ian  lives. 

And  where  was  poor  Bob  Schaffer  ? 
Where?  None  conld  tell.  The  boy  who 
ran  away  to  sea  had  never  returned  to  shame 
his  parents  by  his  worthless,  miserable  ca 
reer.  On  some  far-away  ship  he  was  going 
on  in  his  wicked,  wretched  course,  or  per 
haps  he  had  £unk  in  the  deep  waves,  and 
gone  to  his  last  account.  The  path  of  the 
j  ast  is  as  a  shining  light,  seen  and  admired 
of  men  and  angels.  The  way  of  the  wicked 
is  dark  and  slippery ;  its  end  is  death,  that 
second  death  which  knows  no  glad  awaking. 


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